Composite peat block.



N01. 738,561... PATENTED SEPT. 8,1903. W2: A" MILES;

COMPOSER BEAT. i -219 nrmonlpxg; rump. mm 11. 1902.

IN) MQDEB-J m: Noam, wzrzns co. mom-mum WASHINGTON, 0 c4 NITED STATES IYPatented September 8, 1903.

QOMPO'SITE PEAT BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,561, datedSeptember 8, 1903.

Application filed July 11, 1902- Serial No. 115,239. (No model.)

,in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Composite Peat Blocks, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to improvements in composite peat blocks; and theobject of the invention is to devise a block of this character socomposed in its constituent parts that the peat will present an outersurface unbroken and without openings and cracks, which are sodetrimental to pressed peat as a fuel; and it consists, essentially, ofa block made of the following composition, viz: an inner core ofpulverized peat provided with twenty to twenty-two per cent. ofmoisture, or thereabout, and an outer shell of pulverized peat providedwith seven to ten per cent. of moisture, or thereabout.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the block. Fig. 2 is a section throughthe block.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin each figure.

The block may be formed in a variety of ways; but the way I prefer is tofeed the peat with the greater amount of moisture into the press througha central tube and the peat with the less amount of moisture through theannular space between the interior of a tube of greater diameter and theexterior of the inner central tube. As the peat thus fed is introducedinto the machine at or about the point of compression, a block with ashell A and core B is produced having the desired quality. I

Although I describe the preferable proportions of the peat containingthe greater amount of moisture and the lesser amount of moisture, itwill of course be understood that suchamounts may be varied to someextent, it being preferable to make the peat in the inside with. atleast double the amount of moisture of the peat on the outside of theblock.

in the art of drying peat and pressing it into blocks thatthe greatdifficulty was to produce a block which when pressed would not crack orsplit on the outside contour or surface thereof. Where cracking andsplitting occurred, the blocks when used in the fire were very much morequickly consumed on account of the fire getting into the cracks. By myinvention, however, I find that a block made or composed in the manner Ihave described will be free from any liability to crumble or break whenbeing shipped, as the outer shell becomes very hard, while the center iscomparatively soft, and this I find in practice results in eliminatingany danger of the shell cracking.

What I claim as my invention is-- 1. A composite peat blockcomprisingacore and shell, the shell being formed of pulverized peathaving less moisture than the core as and for the purpose specified.

2. Acompositepeatblockcomprisingacore andshell, the shell being formedof peat of comparatively about half the percentage of moisture to thatof the core as and. for the purpose specified.

3. .Acomposite peat block comprisingacore and shell, the shell beingformed of peat with from. seven to ten per cent. of moisture orthereabout and the core being formed of peat with about from twenty totwenty-two per cent. of moisture or thereabout as and for the purposespecified.

4:. A composite peat block comprising a body, one portion of which isformed of pulverized peat having less degree of moisture than theadjacent portion as and for the purpose specified.

- WILLIAM ATKINSON MILNE.

Witnesses:

B. BOYD, R. SHIELDS.

